One in seven Christians today is persecuted

The growing persecution of Christians in Asia and around the world has been brought to light by a report published by the Korean Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation.

The report claims that “one in seven Christians today is persecuted,” citing a statement made by Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachuku, an official with the Vatican. The report also highlights the pervasive persecution in communist Asia, including China, Vietnam, and Laos, and in African nations like Nigeria. Extremist Jews in India have targeted Catholic monasteries.

The report also draws attention to the vulnerable position of the Church in Nicaragua during Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship, which resulted in the imprisonment of clergy members who stood up for democracy, the expulsion of nuns, and the freezing of church-affiliated universities’ assets. There are still armed Islamic extremist groups in Nigeria that attack churches; as of 2021, 4,600 Nigerian Christians had died as a result of their religious beliefs.

The persecution of Christians by the Chinese communist government has gotten worse, as evidenced by new regulations that forbid religious symbols and activities. Crosses erected outside of churches are being forcibly removed by authorities in Zhejiang province in eastern China. Threats, intimidation, and violent acts against Christians in the Holy Land are all on the rise, as is persecution and attacks against Christians in Israel. Extremist Jews broke into the Carmelite Stella Maris Monastery in Haifa in July and set up a disturbance.

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Patriarch Pizzaballa, voiced concern about the growing number of attacks.